TLS Vehicle Rental - one of the UK's largest commercial vehicle hire and rental companies with more than 18,000 vehicles on its books – has become the victim of a consolidation process that sees it swallowed by a new GE company.

As a result, Carl D'Ammassa, CEO of TLS Vehicle Rental, has left the company voluntarily.

TLS is one of four stand-alone GE companies that have been consolidated to create the new GE Equipment Services Group.

Carl D'Ammassa was also head of the other three companies - TIP, GE Plant Hire and Key Lease. A GE spokesman described the changes as part of an ongoing reorganisation process that is taking management layers out of the company.

GE Equipment Services will be run by a new management team headed by Bob Fast, president and CEO of GE Equipment Services Europe.

GE has confirmed that the four companies will continue to trade independently.

Fast said: "The changes made are very much at a senior management level only and are tied to organisation changes across Europe. The day to day running of these companies will remain very much business as usual."